Al-Jumu'ah (The Friday Prayer): (2) "It is He Who has sent..."
On the term al-Umiyyīn (The Illiterates):
- It is attributed to the Arab nation because they were an ummah (nation) of illiterates, possessing no scripture, neither reading nor writing.
- Ibn Abbas said it refers to those who had neither a revealed Book nor a Prophet sent among them.
- It is also said that al-Umiyyūn are those who remain in the state they were created in (i.e., unlettered), which has been previously explained.
- It was also read as al-Amiyy (with the yā’ of attribution omitted), similar to the Almighty's saying: {a messenger from among them} (Al-Mu'minun: 32), meaning Muhammad (peace be upon him), whose lineage is from their lineage, and he is of their kind, as the Almighty said: {There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves} (At-Tawbah: 128).
- The scholars of meaning stated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was also illiterate, just like the nation to whom he was sent. Prophecies in the scriptures had preceded that the illiterate Prophet would come. Being described with this attribute made it further removed from any suspicion that he relied on writing for the wisdom he brought. Thus, his condition resembled the condition of the nation he was sent to, which brought his message closer to truthfulness.
On the phrase: {reciting to them His verses}
- This means His clear proofs (bayyināt) that demonstrate his prophethood and reveal his mission.
- It is also possible that the verses refer to the verses that reveal the legal rulings (ahkām shar'iyyah) and by which truth is distinguished from falsehood.
On the phrase: {and purifying them}
- This means purifying them from the impurity of polytheism (shirk) and the impurity of other evil sayings and deeds.
- According to some scholars, {and purifying them} means reforming them, i.e., calling them to follow that which makes them pure (azkā) and pious (atqiyā').
On the phrase: {and teaching them the Book and the Wisdom}
- The Book (al-Kitāb): This refers to the verses recited to them.
- The Wisdom (al-Hikmah): This is interpreted as the obligatory duties (al-Farā'iḍ).
- It is also said that Wisdom is the Sunnah, because he recited His verses to them and taught them His established practices (sunanuhu).
- Another view is that The Book refers specifically to the verses of the Qur'an, and Wisdom refers to the meanings embedded within them. It is also plausible to say that The Book is the verses of the Qur'an, and Wisdom is the manner of adhering to them.
On the phrase: {and indeed, they had been, before, in manifest error}
- This is clear, as they were idol worshippers and were in manifest error, which is polytheism. The Messenger (peace be upon him) called them to monotheism and to turn away from what they were previously engaged in.
Regarding this verse, there are discussions:
First: The argument of the People of the Book.
- They argue that the saying {He has sent among the illiterates a Messenger from among them} indicates that he (peace be upon him) was a Messenger specifically to the Arabs (the illiterates).
- However, this argument is weak because singling something out in mention does not necessitate the negation of what is outside that mention. Do you not see the Almighty's saying: {And you did not read any book before it, nor did you write it with your right hand} (Al-'Ankabut: 48)? This does not imply that he wrote with his left hand.
- Furthermore, if he were a Messenger exclusively to the Arabs, the Almighty's statement: {as a bearer of good tidings and a warner to all mankind} (Saba': 28) would not be consistent with that. There is no room for this argument, as they agree on the truthfulness of his specific mission. Therefore, the Almighty's statement {to all mankind} is evidence that he (peace be upon him) was a Messenger to everyone.
{And others from among them who have not yet joined them. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. That is the bounty of Allah, He gives it to whom He wills. And Allah is the Owner of great bounty.}
